traction control Lexus ES300h 2020 Owner's Manual

9
and disposed of by a qualified service
shop or by your Lexus dealer before
you scrap your vehicle.
Special handling may apply, See
www.dtsc.ca.gov/hazardouswaste/
perchlorate.
Your vehicle has components that may
contain perchlorate. These compo-
nents may include airbag, seat belt pre-
tensioners, and wireless remote
control batteries.
Perchlorate Material
WARNING
■General precautions while driving
Driving under the influence: Never drive
your vehicle when under the influence of
alcohol or drugs that have impaired your
ability to operate your vehicle. Alcohol
and certain drugs delay reaction time,
impair judgment and reduce coordina-
tion, which could lead to an accident that
could result in death or serious injury.
Defensive driving: Always drive defen-
sively. Anticipate mistakes that other
drivers or pedestrians might make and
be ready to avoid accidents.
Driver distraction: Always give your full
attention to driving. Anything that dis-
tracts the driver, such as adjusting con-
trols, talking on a cellular phone or
reading can result in a collision with
resulting death or serious injury to you,
your occupants or others.
■General precaution regarding chil-
dren’s safety
Never leave children unattended in the
vehicle, and never allow children to have
or use the key.
Children may be able to start the vehicle
or shift the vehicle into neutral. There is
also a danger that children may injure
themselves by playing with the windows,
the moon roof, or other features of the
vehicle. In addition, heat build-up or
extremely cold temperatures inside the
vehicle can be fatal to children.

631-4. Hybrid system
1
For safety and security
The illustration is an example for explanation and may differ from the actual item.
Warning label
Service plug
Hybrid battery (traction battery)
High voltage cables (orange)
Electric motor (traction motor)
Power control unit
Air conditioning compressor
■Running out of fuel
When the vehicle has run out of fuel and the
hybrid system cannot be started, refuel the
vehicle with at least enough gasoline to
make the low fuel level warning light
(  P.367) go off. If there is only a small
amount of fuel, the hybrid system may not
be able to start. (The standard amount of fuel is about 2.4gal. [9.0 L, 2.0 Imp.gal.],
when the vehicle is on a level surface. This
value may vary when the vehicle is on a
slope. Add extra fuel when the vehicle is
inclined.)
■Electromagnetic waves
●High voltage parts and cables on hybrid
vehicles incorporate electromagnetic
Hybrid system precautions
Take care when handling the hybrid system,
as it is a high voltage system (about
650 V at maximum) as well as contains parts that become extremely hot when
the hybrid system is operating. Obey th e warning labels attached to the vehi-
cle.
System components
A
B
C
D
E
F
G

772-1. Instrument cluster
2
Vehicle status information and indicators
Shift position and shift range (P.150)
Odometer and trip meter display ( P.78)
■Hybrid System Indicator
Charge area
Shows regeneration* status.
Regenerated energy will be used to charge
the hybrid battery (traction battery).
Hybrid Eco area
Shows that gasoline engine power is not
being used very often.
The gasoline engine will automatically stop
and restart under various conditions.
Eco area
Shows that the vehicle is being driven in an
Eco-friendly manner.
By keeping the bar display within Eco area,
more Eco-friendly driv ing can be achieved.
Power area
Shows that an Eco-friendly driving range is
being exceeded (during full power driving
etc.)
*: When used in this manual, regeneration
refers to the conversion of energy cre-
ated by the movement of the vehicle into
electrical energy.
■Engine speed
On hybrid vehicles, engine speed is pre-
cisely controlled in order to help improve
fuel efficiency and reduce exhaust emis- sions etc.
There are times when the engine speed that
is displayed may differ even when vehicle
operation and driving conditions are the
same.
■Hybrid System Indicator is displayed
when
The Hybrid System Indicator is displayed in
the following situations:
●The shift lever is in D or S.
●The hybrid system is started.
■Outside temperature display
●In the following situations, the correct
outside temperature may not be dis-
played, or the display may take longer
than normal to change:
• When stopped, or driving at low speeds (less than 12 mph [20 km/h])
• When the outside temperature has
changed suddenly (at the entrance/exit of
a garage, tunnel, etc.)
●When “--” or “E” is displayed, the system
may be malfunctioning. Take your vehicle
to your Lexus dealer.
■Liquid crystal display
 P.80
■Customization
The gauges and meters can be customized
on of the multi-information display.
(  P.82)
H
I
A
B
C
D
WARNING
■The information display at low tem-
peratures
Allow the interior of the vehicle to warm
up before using the liquid crystal infor-
mation display. At extremely low tem-
peratures, the information display
monitor may respond slowly, and display
changes may be delayed.

1354-1. Before driving
4
Driving
■Restraining sudden start (Drive-Start
Control)
●When the following unusual operation is
performed, the hybrid system output may
be restrained.
• When the shift lever is shifted from R to D,
D to R, N to R, P to D, or P to R (D
includes S) with the accelerator pedal
depressed, a warning message appears
on the multi-information display. If a
warning message is shown on the multi-
information display, read the message
and follow the instructions.
• When the accelerator pedal is depressed
too much while the vehicle is in reverse.
●While Drive-Start Control is being acti-
vated, your vehicle may have trouble
escaping from the mud or fresh snow. In
such case, deactivate TRAC ( P.248)
to cancel Drive-Start Control so that the
vehicle may become able to escape from
the mud or fresh snow.
■Breaking in your new Lexus
To extend the life of the vehicle, observing
the following precautions is recommended:
●For the first 186 miles (300 km):
Avoid sudden stops.
●For the first 621 miles (1000 km):
• Do not drive at extremely high speeds.
• Avoid sudden acceleration.
• Do not drive continuously in low gears.
• Do not drive at a constant speed for extended periods.
■Operating your vehicle in a foreign
country
Comply with the relevant vehicle registra-
tion laws and confirm the availability of the
correct fuel. ( P.401)
WARNING
Observe the following precautions.
Failure to do so may result in death or
serious injury.
■When starting the vehicle
Always keep your foot on the brake
pedal while stopped with the “READY”
indicator is illuminated. This prevents the
vehicle from creeping.
■When driving the vehicle
●Do not drive if you are unfamiliar with
the location of the brake and accelera-
tor pedals to avoid depressing the
wrong pedal.
• Accidentally depressing the accelera- tor pedal instead of the brake pedal
will result in sudden acceleration that
may lead to an accident.
• When backing up, you may twist your body around, leading to a difficulty in
operating the pedals. Make sure to
operate the pedals properly.
• Make sure to keep a correct driving posture even when moving the vehicle
only slightly. This allows you to depress
the brake and accelerator pedals
properly.
• Depress the brake pedal using your right foot. Depressing the brake pedal
using your left foot may delay
response in an emergency, resulting in
an accident.
●The driver should pay extra attention
to pedestrians when the vehicle is
powered only by the electric motor
(traction motor). As there is no engine
noise, the pedestrians may misjudge
the vehicle’s movement. Even though
the vehicle is equipped with the vehicle
proximity notification system, drive
with care as pedestrians in the vicinity
may still not notice the vehicle if the
surrounding area is noisy.
●Do not drive the vehicle over or stop
the vehicle near flammable materials.
The exhaust system and exhaust gases
can be extremely hot. These hot parts
may cause a fire if there is any flamma-
ble material nearby.

1504-2. Driving procedures
*1: To improve fuel efficiency and reduce noise, set the shift lever in D for normal
driving. You can choose shift range suit-
able for your driving situation by oper-
ating the paddle shift switches.
*2: By selecting shift ranges using S mode, you can control accelerating force and
engine braking forces.
■When driving with dynamic radar cruise
control with full-speed range activated
Even when performing the following
actions with the intent of enabling engine
braking, engine braking will not activate
because dynamic radar cruise control with
full speed range will not be canceled.
●While driving in the D position or S mode,
downshifting to 5 or 4. ( P.196)
●When switching the driving mode to
sport mode while driving in the D posi-
tion. ( P.212)
■Restraining sudden start (Drive-Start
Control)
 P.135
■AI-SHIFT
The AI-SHIFT automatica lly selects the suit-
able gear according to driver performance
and driving conditions.
The AI-SHIFT automatically operates when
the shift lever is in D. (Shifting the shift lever
to S cancels the function.)
Hybrid transmission
Select the shift position depending
on your purpose and situation.
Shift position purpose and func-
tions
Shift posi-
tionObjective or function
PParking the vehicle/starting the hybrid system
RReversing
NNeutral
DNormal driving*1
SS mode driving*2 ( P.153)
WARNING
■When driving on slippery road sur-
faces
Do not accelerate or shift gears sud-
denly.
Sudden changes in engine braking may
cause the vehicle to sp in or skid, resulting
in an accident.
NOTICE
■Hybrid battery (traction battery)
charge
If the shift lever is in N, the hybrid battery
(traction battery) will not be charged
even when the engine is running. There-
fore, if the vehicle is left with the shift
lever in N for a certain period of time, the
hybrid battery (traction battery) will dis-
charge, and this may result in the vehicle
not being able to start.

2134-5. Using the driving support systems
4
Driving
When not in SPORT mode, if the Driving
Mode Select switch is turned away from
you, the “Sport” indicator comes on.
■Operation of the air conditioning sys-
tem in Eco drive mode
Eco drive mode contro ls the heating/cool-
ing operations and fan speed of the air con-
ditioning system to enhance fuel efficiency.
To improve air condit ioning performance,
perform the following operations:
●Turn off eco air conditioning mode
(  P.270)
●Adjust the fan speed ( P.268)
●Turn off Eco drive mode ( P.212)
■Auto Glide Control
●While driving in Eco drive mode with D
position, selected, releasing the accelera-
tor pedal will activate Auto Glide Control
under certain conditions. (Auto Glide
Control may activate before the acceler-
ator pedal is fully released.)
When Auto Glide Control operates, the
electric motor (traction motor) will be
controlled, reducing the deceleration
force and allowing the vehicle to coast,
enhancing fuel economy.
When Auto Glide Control operates, the
AGC indicator light will illuminate.
●Auto Glide Control may not operate in
the following situations:
• When not in Eco drive mode
• When the brake pedal is depressed
• When a shift position other than D is selected
• When the vehicle speed is approximately 10 mph (15 km/h) or lower
• When the vehicle is accelerating on a
downward slope
• When the PCS (Pre-Collision System) is operating
• When the dynamic radar cruise control with full-speed range is operating
• When the PKSB (Parking Support Brake)
system is operating
• When the TRAC or VSC system is oper- ating
• When the TRAC or VSC system is dis-
abled by pressing the switch
■Automatic deactivation of sport mode
If the power switch is turned off after driving
in sport mode, the drive mode will be
changed to normal mode.
■Driving mode pop-up display (12.3-inch
display model)
When the driving mode is changed, the
selected driving mode will be temporarily
displayed on the side display. ( P.261)

2474-5. Using the driving support systems
4
Driving
■ECB (Electronically Controlled
Brake System)
The electronically controlled system
generates braking force correspond-
ing to the brake operation
■ABS (Anti-lock Brake System)
Helps to prevent wheel lock when the
brakes are applied suddenly, or if the
brakes are applied while driving on a
slippery road surface
■Brake assist
Generates an increased level of brak-
ing force after the brake pedal is
depressed when the system detects a
panic stop situation
■VSC (Vehicle Stability Control)
Helps the driver to control skidding
when swerving sudden ly or turning on
slippery road surfaces
■Enhanced VSC (Enhanced Vehi-
cle Stability Control)
Provides cooperative control of the
ABS, TRAC, VSC and EPS. Helps to maintain directional stability
when swerving on slippery road sur-
faces by controlling steering perfor-
mance.
■Secondary Collision Brake
When the SRS airbag sensor detects a
collision and the system operates, the
brakes and brake lights are automati-
cally controlled to reduce the vehicle
speed and that help reduce the possi-
bility of further damage due to a sec-
ondary collision
■TRAC (Traction Control)
Helps to maintain drive power and pre-
vent the drive wheels from spinning
when starting the vehicle or accelerat-
ing on slippery roads
■Active Cornering Assist (ACA)
Helps to prevent the vehicle from drift-
ing to the outer side by performing
inner wheel brake control when
attempting to accele rate while turning
■Hill-start assist control
Helps to reduce the backward move-
ment of the vehicle when starting on an
uphill
■EPS (Electric Power Steering)
Employs an electric motor to reduce
the amount of effort needed to turn the
steering wheel
■When the TRAC/VSC/ABS systems are
operating
The slip indicator light will flash while the
TRAC/VSC/ABS systems are operating.
Driving assist systems
To keep driving safety and perfor-
mance, the following systems oper-
ate automatically in response to
various driving situations. Be aware,
however, that these systems are
supplementary and should not be
relied upon too heavily when oper-
ating the vehicle.
Summary of the driving assist
systems

2484-5. Using the driving support systems
■Disabling the TRAC system
If the vehicle gets stuck in mud, dirt or snow,
the TRAC system may reduce power from
the hybrid system to the wheels. Pressing
the switch to turn the system off may
make it easier for you to rock the vehicle in
order to free it.
To turn the TRAC system off, quickly press
and release the switch.
“Traction Control Turned Off” will be shown
on the multi-information display.
Press the switch again to turn the sys-
tem back on.
■Turning off both TRAC and VSC sys-
tems
To turn the TRAC and VSC systems off,
press and hold the switch for more
than 3 seconds while the vehicle is stopped.
The VSC OFF indicator light will come on
and the “Traction Cont rol Turned Off” will
be shown on the multi-information display.
*
Press the switch again to turn the sys-
tem back on.
*: PCS (Pre-Collision System) will also be disabled (only Pre-Collision warning is
available). The PCS warning light will come on and a message
will be displayed
on the multi-information display.
(  P.184)
■When the message is displayed on the
multi-information display showing that
TRAC has been disabled even if the
switch has not been pressed
TRAC is temporary deactivated. If the infor-
mation continues to show, contact your
Lexus dealer.
■Operating conditions of hill-start assist
control
When the following four conditions are met,
the hill-start assist control will operate:
●The shift lever is in a position other than P
or N (when starting off forward/back-
ward on an up ward incline).
●The vehicle is stopped.
●The accelerator pedal is not depressed.
●The parking brake is not engaged.
■Automatic system cancelation of hill-
start assist control
The hill-start assist control will turn off in any
of the following situations:
●The shift lever is shifted to P or N.
●The accelerator pedal is depressed.
●The parking brake is engaged.
●2 seconds at maximum elapsed after the
brake pedal is released.
■Sounds and vibrations caused by the
ABS, brake assist, VSC, TRAC and hill-
start assist control systems
●A sound may be heard from the engine
compartment when the brake pedal is
depressed repeatedly, when the hybrid
system is started or just after the vehicle
begins to move. This sound does not indi-
cate that a malfunction has occurred in
any of these systems.
●Any of the following conditions may
occur when the above systems are oper-
ating. None of these indicates that a mal-
function has occurred.
• Vibrations may be felt through the vehicle body and steering.

2514-6. Driving tips
4
Driving
4-6.Driving tips
When using Eco drive mode, the
torque corresponding to the accelera-
tor pedal depression amount can be
generated more smoothly than it is in
normal conditions. In addition, the
operation of the air conditioning sys-
tem (heating/cooling) will be mini-
mized, improving the fuel economy.
( P.212)
The Eco-friendly driving is possible by
keeping the indicate of Hybrid System
Indicator within Eco area. ( P.77)
Shift the shift lever to D when stopped
at a traffic light, or driving in heavy traf-
fic etc. Shift the shift lever to P when
parking. When using the N, there is no
positive effect on fuel consumption. In
the N, the gasoline engine operates
but electricity cannot be generated.
Also, when using the air conditioning
system, etc., the hybrid battery (trac-
tion battery) power is consumed. 
Drive your vehicle smoothly. Avoid
abrupt acceleration and decelera-
tion. Gradual acceleration and
deceleration will make more effec-
tive use of the electric motor (trac-
tion motor) without having to use
gasoline engine power.
 Avoid repeated acceleration.
Repeated acceleration consumes
hybrid battery (traction battery)
power, resulting in poor fuel con-
sumption. Battery power can be
restored by driving with the acceler-
ator pedal slightly released.
Make sure to operate the brakes gently
and in a timely manner. A greater
amount of electrical energy can be
regenerated when slowing down.
Repeated acceleration and decelera-
tion, as well as long waits at traffic
lights, will lead to bad fuel economy.
Check traffic reports before leaving
and avoid delays as much as possible.
When driving in a traffic jam, gently
release the brake pedal to allow the
vehicle to move forward slightly while
avoiding overuse of the accelerator
pedal. Doing so can help control
excessive gasoline consumption.
Hybrid vehicle driving tips
For economical and ecological
driving, pay attention to the follow-
ing points:
Using Eco drive mode
Use of Hybrid System Indicator
Shift lever operation
Accelerator pedal/brake pedal
operation
When braking
Delays

3176-3. Do-it-yourself maintenance
6
Maintenance and care
6-3.Do-it-yourself maintenance
Do-it-yourself service pre-
cautions
If you perform maintenance by
yourself, be sure to follow the cor-
rect procedure as given in these
sections.
Maintenance
ItemsParts and tools
12-volt battery
condition
( P.326)•Grease
• Conventional wrench
(for terminal clamp
bolts)
Brake fluid
level
( P.325)
• FMVSS No.116 DOT 3
or SAE J1703 brake
fluid
FMVSS No.116 DOT 4
or SAE J1704 brake
fluid
• Rag or paper towel
• Funnel (used only for adding brake fluid)
Engine/power
control unit
coolant level
( P.323)
•“Toyota Super Long Life
Coolant” or a similar
high quality ethylene
glycol-based non-sili-
cate, non-amine, non-
nitrite and non-borate
coolant with long-life
hybrid organic acid
technology
For the U.S.A.:
“Toyota Super Long Life
Coolant” is pre-mixed
with 50% coolant and
50% deionized water.
For Canada:
“Toyota Super Long Life
Coolant” is pre-mixed
with 55% coolant and
45% deionized water.
• Funnel (used only for adding coolant)
Hybrid bat-
tery (traction
battery) air
intake vent
( P.343)
• Vacuum cleaner, etc.
• Phillips screwdriver
Engine oil level
( P.321)
•“Toyota Genuine Motor
Oil” or equivalent
•Rag or paper towel
• Funnel (used only for adding engine oil)
Fuses
( P.348)• Fuse with same amper-
age rating as original
Headlight aim• Phillips-head screw-driver
Light bulbs
( P.351)
•Bulb with same number
and wattage rating as
original
• Flathead screwdriver
ItemsParts and tools